Hope everyone had a great first week of school and relaxing Labor Day weekend. Our first week of school at Fir Grove was spent building community in our classrooms and setting the stage for academics. I wanted to share some helpful information for the next two months.
Our Monday early releases start Monday September 9, 2019. We release at 1:25 pm every Monday for Professional Learning Communities. All other days we release at the usual time of 2:05 pm.
We are having our Fir Grove Curriculum Night Thursday September 26 from 5-6:30 pm. This will be an opportunity to hear about the curriculum from your child’s teacher, and learn more about the daily activities in the classroom. Food will be provided.
Each day at school, we are taking data on how your child is doing in building their independence, rather than success in activities. Our goal is for your child to transition back to their neighborhood school as quickly as possible. To help determine when that time is, we keep data daily on your child’s independence in activities. A three during an activity, means they didn’t need any reminders. A two means they need 1-2 reminders. A 1 means they needed 3-4 reminders. A zero means they needed constant support from staff. Thus, their score on the daily point sheet looks at their independence, rather than success during the day.
I have included with the letter our rubric and steps students take to transition back to their district, to help students and families understand the process. Each students transition will look different, as each child has different needs. Click here for more information.
We are thrilled to announce a fun family event. Through a donation from the Source Climbing Center, Fir Grove families will be able to rock climb for free from 6-8 pm on Sunday October 20. The Source Climbing Center is located at 1118 Main Street, Vancouver, 98660. Students need to be supervised by their families, and Fir Grove staff will not be able to supervise your child. Please call the school office with any questions.
All classroom teachers should have reached out to you inviting you to join Remind- a social communication platform to help communication. Your teacher will send you an invitation code via Remind to join their classroom, and then you will be connected with your child’s teacher. You can use the Remind app on your phone or any internet connected device, and you can use cell data, wifi or the phone option. Remind can be used to share our daily point sheet, ask questions (via text messages, email or phone) or share a concern. If you have not been contacted by your teacher, please let me know so we can ensure you are connected with your child’s teacher.
Thank you for all the teamwork and support. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.
Jeremy Berliss
Fir Grove Principal
360-313-1800, jeremy.berliss@vansd.org